"I chose to transfer to Lake Superior State University because of the personal attention I would receive. I did not want to attend a large university where I would be a number lost in the masses. The well-rounded curriculum allowed me to obtain my position at John Deere. Having a good balance of theory and hands-on knowledge is critical for my position and Lake State gave me a good foundation in these skills."

Circuitry from Scratch | July 7, 2012

Lake Superior State University engineering student Brian Parkham checks up on Chelsea Chai as she puts the finishing touches on a circuit board she created from scratch. Chai, who hails from East Lansing, Mich., joined 15 other campers ranging from 8th-12th grades from all over the US for the first week LSSU's 22nd-annual Women in Technology camp. The intensive weeklong session offered projects in electronics, computer engineering, CAD design, and robotics. Two sessions a summer are underwritten by federal, state, and private-sector grants in an attempt to bring more women into technology careers. Parkham, a sophomore in electrical engineering from Spruce, Mich., works with several LSSU engineering students as a camp instructor. (LSSU photo by Emily Jones)

School of Engineering & Technology wins Department of the Year Award | April 16, 2012

Congratulations to all in the school for a job well done! The award for Department of the Year was announced at the annual Student Government Leadership Awards Banquet on April 16th.

According to the award criterion, "This award is not solely for academic departments, but for all units that make up the university. The members of this department are willing to help all Lakers with questions or concerns, and they do an excellent job at whatever they are intended to do."

One comment that gave away the winner was, "...they can be found in the building at all hours - even 2 or 3 am, sometimes sleeping there." [senior project memories, anyone?]

The School received a certificate, which was accepted by Dr. Finley, and will be framed and hung in the office along with a photo of the group.

SWE hosts 4th Annual Girl Scout Day | April 14, 2012

LSSU's SWE Chapter held its 4th Annual Girl Scout Day with scouts ranging in ages from 5 (Daisy scouts) through 14 (Cadettes). The 44 participants came from as far as DePere, Wisc. and and near as local troops from the EUP. Engineering activities included paper towers, popsicle stick bridges, creating bouncing balls and structures from marshmallows and pretzels, and an introduction to robotics through a Mindstorm robot exercise and demonstration in the LSSU Robotics and Automation lab by the new Staubli lline.

Textbooks (and we all know how heavy engineering texts can be!) were stacked on the popsicle bridges with quite a few withstanding the 7-book load. The finale was a Daisy Scout stepping on a SWE bridge and flattening it underfoot. The day ended with sticky smiles, colorful fingers, and a good time had by all. SWE is looking forward to doing it all over again in April 2013. For more photos, visit our Facebook page at LSSU Engineering & Technology.

Order of the Engineer Inducts 10 into Class of 2012 | April 11, 2012

This year's Order of the Engineer ceremony inducted 10 graduating seniors from computer, electical and mechanical engineering, with Dr. David Finley at the podium. Our guest readers were Matt Gibbs, '04 EE, Automation Resources Manager with Beta Fluid Power, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. and Paul Coccimiglio, '05 ME, Strategic Sourcing Manager with Essar Steel Algoma, Ont. Our thanks to these alumni for their assistance with this year's ceremony. Congratulations to our new members: Wear your rings proudly! back to top

And the winner is...Five vie for Mr. Engineer honors | February 15, 2012

Kudos to Society of Women Engineers (SWE) for its inaugural Mr. Engineer competition. The fundraiser for SWE secured five brave souls who competed for the dubious distinction of being Mr. Engineer showing off such talents as playing card tricks, bowling for pop cans, guitar playing, singing and solving a rubic's cube. Nerd wear included thong sandals with socks, a fine pair of safety glasses with a touch of duct tape, zig zags and lanyards. The Q&A was the final determinant for the evening. When asked what one thing each would change in the world, the unanimous answer was "world peace." Other more original answers were The Notebook for favorite chick flick, and "I'll tell you when I have it," regarding the moment when one changed from a boy to a man.

The contestants are joined by a representative of SWE, Stephanie Peck, at left, Mr. Engineer 2012 Nick Letts, Riley Lytwyneck, Brian Parkham, John Orttenburger, Jon Reath, and a judge, Kirsi Heikkinen. Other judges included new mechanical engineering faculty member, Dr. Jaskirat Sodhi, and the new dean of the College of Business, Engineering & Economic Development, Dr. David Finley.

Alumnus passes through the "other" locks | February 15, 2012

Alumnus David O'Gorman '04 flashes his Laker Pride on board Oregon State University's Research Vessel Oceanus as it passes through the lock system of the Panama Canal on Feb. 4. The ship is exiting the Miraflores locks on the Pacific side. The cover of the Laker Log on the right (David's left hand) features LSSU's SAE Baja vehicle. The electrical engineering alumnus works as a marine tech on several research vessels including the R/V Wecoma of the Center for Coastal Margin Observation & Prediction (CMOP), a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center.

Jon Spencer, a junior in mechanical engineering at Lake Superior State University, holds up his entry to the Roland DG Creative Awards competition. Spencer, who hails from West Branch, Mich. is in his third year of working for the university’s Product Development Center (PDC). The yo-yo showcases the capabilities of a Roland MDX-540, a computer numerical controlled (CNC) mill.

The unit owned by the PDC is a miniature mill used for creating small parts to build prototypes for its clients. Bits as small as .0130-inch were used to inscribe designs into the yo-yo. The side seen in the photo at left spells out “LSSU” in binary (start at the underlined zero) along with an integrated circuit pattern to represent the computer and electrical aspects of the PDC. On the flip side, seen below, the gear and markings that radiate along the edge indicating divisions of degrees represent the mechanical bent of the PDC.

Entries are judged on creativity including originality and imagination, innovative use of Roland equipment (e.g. an application not typically associated with the Roland product utilized), and excellence in the execution or rendering of the exhibit. Spencer’s yo-yo is built to specifications based on a Duncan model right down to the Egyptian cotton string.

The yo-yo was developed as an experiment with alternative materials for manufacturing client prototypes.“We’re always looking for ways to keep costs down for our clients,” said David Leach, one of two project managers with the PDC. “Jon worked with a liquid urethane and mineral composite. The major benefit of the composite is the cost. It is less expensive than solid plastic. It starts out as a liquid which is poured into a mold and formed a more efficient shape. Jon was able to make a block for machining that was less than a third the cost.”

College of Business, Engineering and Economic Development welcomes Dr. Finley, P.E. | January 15, 2012

Dr. David Roland Finley, P.E. comes to Lake Superior State University from Trine University, Angola, Ind. where he was dean of the Allen School of Engineering and Technology and subsequently Vice President for Academic Affairs for a total of 11 yearsw, serving also as interim dean for the Ketner School of Business and the Jannen School of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Finley brings his unique background in business and engineering, which includes research interests in improved educational/learning methodologies and entrepreneurship, to our newly-incorporated college. He has also been a speaker on topics of assessment and retention. Trine experienced an increase in enrollment and freshman retention, program growth and partnerships during Finley's tenure. His career has taken him from environmental science through chemical engineering, receiving a Trine Excellence in Teaching Award and Tau Beta Pi Eminent Engineer Recognition, to his newest leadership post. back to top

Meeting of the Mindstorms - the results are in! | December 15, 2011

The head-to-head double elimination came down to a less than 8-point spread between the top two teams: Team One and the Flying Aces with the Aces taking first place.

The IAB welcomes new members | November 4, 2011

The Industrial Advisory Board received three new members at its Fall 2011 meeting in November: John Tillotson, Technical Fellow at Honeywell International in Boyne City, Mich.; Tim Bennett, Senior Process Engineer with Nexteer Automotive in Saginaw, Mich.; and Trevor Swenson, Senior Infrastructure Engineering with Research In Motion in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

Promotion Congratulations! | Fall 2011

The School of Engineering & Technology announced the promotions of Dr. Andrew Jones (electrical and computer engineering) and Dr. Robert Hildebrand (mechanical engineering) to the rank of Associate Professor this fall.

Dr. Janjua puts ink to paper with new textbook | Fall 2011

Congratulations to Dr. M. Mansoor Janjua, who recently published a textbook entitled "Learning Pro/Manufacturing Using Pro/Creo Elements: A Step-by-Step Guide to Learn Computer-Aided Manufacturing," ISBN 978-1462039258. The book teaches students how to create different machining operations for a part, and then obtain G-codes for CNC machines. The content covers 3-, 4-, and 5-axis milling along with 2-axis turning.

Drive-by Smiles: Proud Grad Stats Noted on Billboard | July 11, 2011

Smiling faces of LSSU graduates announce this year's job offer successes for the School of Engineering & Technology graduates. The billboard along the eastbound lane of US 10 just outside of Coleman, Mich. proclaims that this year's 25 graduates had a total of 70 offers among them for jobs. Ninety-eight percent of our April 2011 graduates were employed within a month of graduation. The majority had multiple offers and signed contracts by the time they crossed the platform at commencement.

Eric Becks, one of two Engineering Project Managers for Lake Superior State University's Product Development Center (PDC), has received a $30,000 grant from the MIIE Industry & Engagement Fund. The grant is to establish a Micro-Loan fund to aid inventors and entrepreneurs in paying for prototyping and product development services through the LSSU Product Development Center.

Becks said, "As borrowers successfully complete their projects and repay the loan, those funds become available for another client's project." Micro-loans are small loans tailored to help start-up businesses.

To be eligible for this program, the borrower must have been provided a project proposal for work to be done by the PDC. The Micro-Loan can not generally be used to cover the entire proposal cost and a matching amount is typically required. LSSU PDC clients can contact their Engineering Projects Manager for additional information and requirements.

For more information about LSSU's PDC, visit www.lssu.edu/pdc or call 906-635-2207.